Thousand Trails Medina Lake RV Resort, Lakehills, Texas – Day 8

Mary remains at home in California tending to medical issues. She had successful carotid artery surgery on Wednesday, November 14th,  returned home the following day and is in the process of recuperation.

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails about 40 miles west of San Antonio.

Three days ago I took the Bronco and drove the about 20 miles back to Bandera, Texas. I say back to, because I drove through Bandera on the way to my current parking spot at Thousand Trails with the motorhome, but did not stop.

Bandera calls itself…The Cowboy Capital of the World. You can read about Bandera by clicking this link…
http://www.banderacowboycapital.com/index.cfm

Since I’ll be at Thousand Trails for another about two weeks and all I have to show from there are deer photos, I’m going to stretch out the photos I took in Bandera over three days.

For this third day, some photos of Arkey’s Silver Dollar Saloon. It’s one of Texas’s last remaining true honky-tonks. It’s been there since the 1930′s and reputedly every old Country and Western music singer including, Hank Williams, Sr, and Willie Nelson among many others has played there. I was there from about 2-2:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon.. Here are some of the photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

The bar is located in the cellar of the Bandera General Store and entered by a single door on the left of the building…

Enjoying old Cowboy honky-tonks is another joy of the full-time RVing lifestyle!

In other news…

The May 27th accident occurred six months ago today. Mary is at her home in California dealing with some after-effects of the accident. As for myself, about one month ago I was finally able to no longer wear my elastic chest bandage, stop taking my medication and stop icing my chest twice a day. My right rib cage area remains slightly swollen and still tender to the touch. I also have a minor, but constant, burning sensation in that area. Some days it’s worse than others. I’m not sure how long this burning sensation will remain, but considering how badly some other passengers were injured, I’m thankful that it’s all I have to deal with.

If you missed the Blog entry about the accident, you can read about it by clicking the below link. If you want to read the full story you will need to read the following several days entries by going back into the archives…
http://wp.me/pDCku-4Eh

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Texas. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Kerrville, Texas

Mary remains at home in California tending to medical issues. She had successful carotid artery surgery last Wednesday, returned home Thursday and is in the process of recuperation.

Yesterday I drove the motorhome the about 100 miles from Brady to Kerrville, Texas.

The motorhome is parked at VFW Post #1480. I’ll depart later this morning.

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

As always, I like to show the view from the dinette window…

I had hope to visit the Museum of Western Art while here. However I found out they are closed on Sunday (yesterday) and Monday (today), plus they do not allow photography. So much for that visit.

Yesterday about 5:00 PM I went into the VFW Post to say hello to the locals. The barmaid looked like she had lost something and did not come over to wait on me for the about 10 minutes I sat there. The place was really smokey and noisy as everyone else was involved in watching the Sunday afternoon football game on TV. I went back to the motorhome and continued reading the really thick book I bought on the life of Willie Nelson. So much for my visit to Kerrville, Texas. Such is life!

Enjoying lots of good books is another joy in the life of the full-time RVing lifestyle!

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Impressions Of A Book I Really Enjoyed…

My last Blog entry about Palmyra Island also known as Palmyra Atoll was written on September 15th, 2011. In case you missed it, here’s the link…

otrwjam.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/the-curse-of-palmyra-island/

Arriving at Mary’s home in Murphys, California on October 11th, I found my copy of Palmyra: The True Story of an Island Tragedy written by Wesley Walker…the man convicted of the murder…waiting for me. All 895, 6×9, pages of it. I immediately started reading the book and only yesterday completed it. For the record…I thought I would record my impressions of his book.

My very first impression at the start of reading the book was…unless you had read the book written by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson…And The Sea Will Tell…you would be hard-pressed to tell what this book was about.

Facing a life in prison sentence he decided to try his hand at writing. He had already written three fiction novels…when on page 419 in his book Walker writes…

“Then I read the great hoax of a book by two sleaze-artists (meaning Bugliosi and Henderson) of a different order, allowing the full import of the insult to my intelligence to sink in. Overflowing with self-righteous anger, I spent the next three years transferring furious words to some 2500 pages of a reply. My trial alone covered 820 pages.” Then an incident occurred which caused him to think “Let’s settle the hash of those clowns, finish the unfinished business of the past. We’re near our rocking chairs on the front porch and we need tranquil minds to enjoy the view. And so I returned for a last visit, to relive it all, retell it yet again. To remember.” That’s when he sat down to write what became his book…Palmyra: The True Story of an Island Tragedy.

As I started to read….another immediate impression was he was far more literate than I had imagined him to be. All my previous impressions of Wesley Walker came from one source…Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson’s book…And The Sea Will Tell. They painted him as a low-life con artist.

The book was easy to read and very interesting. I found I enjoyed his writing style and really started to like the guy.

An interesting aside…during a period of time when he was an escaped felon…he was arrested at the Torch Lite Motel on Fourth Avenue in Yuma, Arizona. That motel is about one block from where I park the motorhome while in Yuma…at the American Legion. I have actually walked through the parking lot of that motel.

He spends lots of pages describing his life and lifestyles. For some period of time he was a sophisticated marijuana farmer. He seemed to have a really laid-back attitude and as I read I pictured him with the face of Willie Nelson.

Here’s a 1974 photo of Walker the Honolulu Star-Bulletin…

Here are some other interesting items from his book…

Page 294 and 295…

“Lawyers are the ones who always win, whether or not they win or lose cases. Unfortunately, poor people do not have the luxury of being permitted to make decisions about the quality of counsel, whether to consider fees or reputation. In our system, the judge has the prerogative of choosing you lawyer for you. The best lawyers simply do not appear on judge’s lists of lawyers to be appointed. Only the names of young and desperate lawyers are on the judge’s lists, and if they remain there long, it’s a sure sign they are not in demand. It’s the hack lawyers last refuge before chasing ambulances or going on welfare and drink. And thus, my lawyer Earle Partington was appointed. Partington could have done better by learning a new trade and doing honest work for a living.”

Page 299…

“Although I had long known it on some vague level never quite verbalized, later, when I had all the time in the world to contemplate the basic questions that would torture me, I would come to the firm conclusion that there was a vast difference between justice for the poor and for those who could afford it.”

Page 404…

After he is found guilty, the Federal Marshall who had been his guard all during the trial said to Walker…”If you ask me, your lawyers were the best thing the prosecution had going.”

My conclusions…

Walker spent 22 years in prison. He had lots of time to think about everything in his life. He does an excellent job telling us about his life. He does a particularly good job describing what life is like as a fugitive running from the law as well what life is like as a prisoner in a maximum security prison. He also reviews every flaw in his trial and goes on to tell…in his words…what really happened at Palmyra.

What really happened at Palmyra..according to Walker? I’m not telling. I wouldn’t want to spoil your reading of this book! 

I really enjoyed his book and it will go into my “books to be re-read” box. It’s a really good book if you enjoy this kind of reading.

I have no affiliation with the publisher. Here’s the link I used to order the book…

http://palmyramystery.com/web1/Page_1x.html

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Some Thoughts On Life Expectancy…

I’m not sure how I got to thinking about this topic a couple of days ago…perhaps it had something to do with my, then upcoming, annual physical examination at Seattle’s VA Hospital which happened two-day ago. Thankfully…no problems.

I think it was also because when you reach my current age (70), you become aware that friends, and friends of other friends your age, are dropping like flies and in the natural progression of things…as far as my family is concerned…I’m next in line.

It got me to thinking, I wonder what the current life expectancy is in the United States…so, I posed the question to my Internet search box and came up with this Wikipedia informational link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

I’m not sure what I expected to find…but I found out the average life expectancy in the United States for males is 75.6 and for females is 80.8. Some how I thought it was longer than that. I was particularly surprised that the United States ranked 36th in the world…once again I thought it would be higher that. What country is number one????…you’ve got to click the link to find out. I never would have guessed it.

I realize these number are averages…and that there are lots of factors involved. In my family, my father died at the age of 65…but he was a welder (inhaling all those welding fumes and asbestos in the shipyards) and a smoker as well. My mother died of cancer (the only cancer victim in our family that I’m aware of) at the age of 84.  A couple of my grandmothers lived until well into their 90′s.

I am very fortunate to have inherited my mother’s good health…for I have never suffered a major illness or broken a bone in my body in my entire life. Every day I wake I am thankful for my good health.

Another thing I really like about myself is that money has never been that important to me. I’m not wealthy…but I’ve enough to live my life the way it makes me happy.

No matter how wealthy a person is, no amount of money can buy you more than your allotted time. I remember many years ago watching the life story of Sam Walton (a man who worked all of his life and seldom took a vacation) die a shriveled-up old man at the age of 74. All of his money couldn’t buy him an extra day.

It’s a well stated fact…stress kills. When I retired at the age of 55 in 1995…my goal was to de-stress my life as much as possible. I have a long-time close friend who has told me…”I’m so envious of you…you have managed to so simplify your life!”

Another way that I have been very lucky is…way back in 1968…in my Dale Carnegie class…they taught me how to live my life one day at a time. In other words…you cannot change your yesterdays and tomorrow will take care of themselves. For 25+years this license plate, which currently is bolted to my Ford Bronco II, has been there to remind me to do just that. In the last 40+ years…I’VE WORRIED ABOUT NOTHING! I truly have peace-of-mind.

So, I guess what I am saying is, that I (barring an unfortunate accident) expect to beat the averages and be around for a long time to come. Another factor is…suppossedly…only the good die young…so that’s also working in my favor!

So the moral of this story is…

If you find yourself struggling with life…my recommendations are…

1) Buy the Dale Carnegie book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” and use the appropriate principles that apply to your life.

2) Try to eat healthier.

3) Get moderate exercise.

4) Quit smoking if you do.

5) Use alcohol moderately.

I’ve been a full-time RVer and on perpetual vacation for the last 16 years. In my travels, I’ve met many people who have said to me…”God, I envy the way you live!”

I reply…”You can do it too…there are only three easy steps”…

1) Retire as early as you can.

2) Sell everything you own.

3) Bay an RV and hit the road. (Disconnect your TV and bring lots of books along.) And immediately they start to stutter…”Ah, but in my case…dah, dah, dah, etc…

If you really want something bad enough in your life…it can usually be attained…if you are willing to give what it takes. Most folks are not willing to do so. For instance…I wish I could play a guitar like Willie Nelson. Am I willing to practice five hours a day…every day of my life… like he does???? Nope…so needless to say…I do not play a guitar like Willie Nelson.

RVing is essentially a stress-free life. All one needs to be concerned with is obeying basic vehicle laws…other than that… you have little interface with all the rules, regulations and taxes of the world.

Life is very short…each and every day we are given is priceless.

Go Rving! Try it…you’ll like it!

Oh, I forgot to tell you the one goal I have left in my life is…I hope to be the world’s first 100-year-old active RVer!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

Vancouver, Washington And Howard Hughes

We’re still in Vancouver, Washington…right across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. Still in an American Legion parking lot…

If you’ve been a follower of my Blog, you know that I do not like big cities…give me the wide-open spaces!!!! We are in Vancouver because Mary wanted to investigate some possible real estate investment properties.

For today’s Blog entry I decided to acquaint you with Vancouver, Washington. Lewis and Clark passed through this area during their travels on their way to the Pacific Ocean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver,_Washington

To occupy most of my time, I’ve been reading a very-well written book about Howard Hughes by Richard Hack. Hughes was a most interesting character. An only child, spoiled-rotten as a child…receiving in 1923 at the age of 17, a $5,000 a month allowance…he grew into a self-serving ego maniac and paranoriac with no feelings for anyone but himself. His drive for fame and  money is a sad but intriguing story. His story (444 pages) proves money does not buy happiness. I highly recommend this book to you.

Howard Hughes never made it to Vancouver, Washington although Willie Nelson began his musical career here back in 1956.

In other news…

Today we will head for Long Beach on the Washington coast.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

Let’s Go To Luckenbach, Texas…

In 1977, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson told us let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas in their duet of “Back To The Basics Of Love” aka as “Luckenbach, Texas”. The town has a population of 3 and its slogan is “Everybody Is Somebody In Luckenbach!”

Luckenbach, Texas is another unique place in the world. Mary and I went there yesterday and enjoyed five hours of good ole country music. It was a windy and rainy afternoon and about a dozen people including the three guitar pickers were comfortably stationed in the beer hall. The only other buildings are the general store/post office and a large dance hall. We spent the night in their RV parking lot. I was last here in 2000.

Downtown Luckenbach, Texas. When in Texas, do as the Texans do!

To see the other 24 photos I took…click this link…
http://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver/LuckenbachTexas2010

Luckenbach even has its own website…here the link…
http://www.luckenbachtexas.com/

Here’s a Wikipedia link for Luckenbach…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luckenbach,_Texas

Here’s a CNN.com article about Luckenbach…
http://web.archive.org/web/20041110051415/http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/11/05/luckenbach.texas.ap/index.html

Just in case you want to sing along with Waylon Jennings (see the below YouTube)…
Here/s the lyrics…
Let’s go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’ got us feuding
like the Hatfield and McCoy’s
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry’s train songs
and blue eyes cryin’ in the rain, out in Luckenbach Texas
ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain

So baby let’s sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
In your high socitey you cry all day
We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones
Four car garage and we’re still building on
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love

Let’s go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’ got us feuding
like the Hatfield and McCoy’s
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry’s train songs
and blue eyes cryin’ in the rain out in Luckenbach Texas
ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain

Here’s a YouTube video establishing a world’s record of 1,868 people playing the guitar at the same time on August 23, 2009…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GynYIYoSpKM

Finally, here’s a video of Waylon Jennings singing Luckenbach, Texas…

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2010
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com